Summer Love
by MKelly
Summary: Bella anxiously returns to her family's favorite vacation spot, the Outer Banks of North Carolina, where she meets the Cullens, and finds a connection with a bronze haired boy. AH, slightly OOC.
1. Chapter 1

I lay in bed, desperately hanging on to the last few precious moments of sleep. Drifting in & out of consciousness, until my alarm starts to beep softer, gradually working to a shrill pitch that only dogs should be able to hear.

I took in a deep breath before rolling over & smacking the snooze button with the palm of my hand for the third time this morning.

I should be excited, joyous even. In less than an hour, I'll be in the back of the car, en route to my favorite place in the world, the Outer Banks of North Carolina. Every summer since I was 9, we had vacationed in a tiny town called Rodanthe, on Hatteras Island.

I couldn't wait to step out of the car, and inhale the first breath of salty, humid air. I LIVED for this week every year.

But ever since my best friend since Kindergarten, Rosalie Hale, had been unable to go, I had been moping ever since. We had planning this week since January. There were surfers to flirt with, beaches to be explored, and memories to be made. We were a duo, and without my other half, I felt less than enthused.

"Isabella Marie Swan!!" my mother yelled harshly outside of my door. "Please tell me you're not still in bed…GET UP, we need to leave to beat traffic!"

Ugh, doesn't she know its 5 AM? She should be lucky I'm even coherent.

"I am up Mom!" I replied, my voice still thick with sleep. "I'll be ready in ten minutes" I said, hoping she was too busy making a mental checklist of items that couldn't be forgotten, to notice my raspy voice.

"Good" she retorted back, "Because Phil is chomping at the bit to leave, he wants to make it to McDonald's by 7."

Of course, Phil's needs. Not that I didn't like Phil. He had been my stepfather since I was six years old, and they had been dating since I was 18 months, but I couldn't but help but feel like a third wheel at times.

I turned my attention to the door, making sure Renee was gone before I attempted to sit up in my squeaky bed. If she heard my bed springs creak, I knew she would be back again to check.

I looked around my room, silently patting myself on the back to have all my things packed in preparation for the trip. Unlike Renee, who was scatter brained, flighty, and a major procrastinator, I was organized, and on top of things. I somehow wondered how she managed to get by without me before I entered this world.

I slowly stood from my bed, stretching my arms above my head, and allowing a long yawn to escape my lips. I shuffled over to the bathroom to start my routine.

Yikes! My hair was knotted, and stacked in several places, and the bags under my eyes were a light purple. I sighed, 5 AM is not a good look for me.

I ran the brush through my mess of mahogany brown hair, attempting to return it to its' pre-restless sleep state. I gave up after catching in the second knot, causing myself to yelp in the process. A messy bun it is, I thought, as I grabbed a ponytail holder, and begin to twist it up.

I rummaged through my drawers before deciding on a pair of khaki shorts, and a dark blue crew neck tee. I threw on a gray hoodie to keep me warm until the morning chill disappeared.

I would be riding in a car for eight hours, maybe more depending on traffic; there was no point in getting dolled up. I would save that for my evenings once I arrived to the beach.

"Bella, Phil wants to pack the car, are your things ready?" my mother yelled from the bottom of the stairs.

"Yes, Mom, I'm bringing them down now" I replied. I picked up my bags, and grabbed my copy of Wuthering Heights and my IPod, and headed down the stairs.

Once I had made my way down the treacherous steps with my luggage in tow, I dragged them into the kitchen to see Phil attempting to fit all of our things in the trunk of our Hyundai Sonata.

After Phil wrangled everything securely into the car, I slipped into the back seat, and popped my ear buds in, not wanting to hear Renee & Phil's banter the entire trip.

I sighed as we passed the street that led to Rosalie's house. What I wouldn't give to have her with me, instead of the two that sat in front of me. Unfortunately Rosalie's mother was none too pleased with the grade of "D" she received in Geometry.

I reached into the pocket of my hoodie, and pulled out my cell phone, and started playing to preoccupy my mind. It was a present from Dad, Charlie, who lived 3,000 miles across the country on the West Coast, in a tiny town called Forks, Washington. I had just received it, not two weeks ago, ecstatic to replace my dinosaur I had been carrying around for the past two years. After a half hour of Tetris, I found myself becoming increasingly drowsy, and began to remember when I had received it.

------

"_Bella, there's a package for you in the mail, looks like it's from Charlie," Renee called._

_I felt guilty immediately. I had lived with Charlie up until I was six years old. When my Mother got remarried, she decided she wanted a "family" again, and convinced me to live with her and Phil. Charlie had never actually asked me to stay with him, because I knew he would never make me feel forced to make that choice. But I knew it broke his heart when Renee moved us to Maryland, and he was in the habit of sending gifts to express his affection._

_I usually spent one month of my summer vacation with him, but since the start of high school, I was ashamed to say I'd been to self to leave my friends._

_I made my way into the kitchen where Renee was cooking dinner, well soup from a can, if you can call that cooking._

"_It's over there, on the table," she gestured. Watching me closely, Renee hated to be one-upped._

_I took the scissors from the drawer, and gently cut the tape that held the small package together. Inside of the package was another small white box, and a note:_

"_Hey Bells!_

_I know you said your phone was on the fritz. Be sure & call me. Hope you like it!_

_Love,_

_Dad"_

_I sighed. I wish he knew that I would take a simple vocalization of "I love you" just as easily as a material possession. But that was Charlie. Emotionally inept._

_I opened the tiny white box, and gasped at what I saw inside._

"_What?" Renee said, immediately tensing up, "What is it?"_

"_It's an iphone!!" I squealed out, like a 5 year old on Christmas morning._

"_Humph, that was nice of him," was all she replied back._

_Not to be deterred by her sour reaction, I ran for the cordless to call Charlie, and thank him._

_I punched in his phone number, giddy with delight._

_Riing, Riing, Ri—"Hello", boomed a deep voice on the other end._

"_Ch- Dad, I just got your package, thank you soo much!" I cooed._

"_Glad you like it Bells, the guy at the store said they're popular right now…" he trailed off._

"_Are you kidding..I will be the envy of every one of my friends, Rosalie is going to freak!" I replied._

"_So, had you given any thought about, you know, maybe spending some time in Forks this summer…" he said._

_Uh oh. Here it comes. My elation slipped away, and the guilt was back._

"_Ummm.." I stammered, "I'm not sure yet, Dad, I'll have to see which camps are what week, and so forth" I prattled on, "but I'll let you know once I get my schedule figured out."_

"_Oh, okay, that's fine, it's no big deal" he replied glumly, "I just miss you."_

_My heart broke. It had been six months since I had seen him, and that was only because he flew to me for Christmas. I felt like the worst daughter in the world. Here he was, sending me things, thinking of me, and I was only trying to think of how to escape a visit to Forks._

"_I miss you too Dad, a lot" I replied sincerely. "Thank you again, I love it, I'll talk to you soon."_

"_Sure sweetie, no problem, talk to you later. Bye" he said._

_Click._

_------_

When I finally came to, I felt a dull pain that started in my neck, and continued all the way down to my lower back. Ahh, the joys of sleeping in a Sonata.

As I sat up, I let out a small groan, while I tried to let my vision adjust to the surroundings as they flew by.

"Well, look who's finally awake, sleepy head!", my mother chirped.

I gave her an evil glare, "What time is it?" I asked, groggily.

"Just after one, you slept through breakfast, we didn't want to wake you" she replied. "We should be at the cottage in about 30 minutes, or so, we made good time!"

Ugh, no wonder I was disoriented, I had spent the last 7 hours in a position that would make a contortionist cringe. My discomfort was quickly replaced with glee, as I gazed out the window, and could see the ocean peeking out from behind the dunes.

Even though Rose hadn't been able to come, I couldn't hide my growing excitement, as we passed the landmarks I had come to know, and love.

The dilapidated pier in the Pamlico Sound, which I assumed a storm took the other half of. The wildlife refuge. And as we continued South, I could see the outline of mansion like beach homes on the horizon.

I sighed in contentment as we passed the Texaco, and the Rodanthe Surf Shop, where Rosalie & I had frequented, purchasing Reef flip flops, wooden bead necklaces, and an obnoxious amount of surf themed decals that would one day adorn our cars.

I teetered on the edge of my seat, as we made the left that took us to our Oceanside cottage. I couldn't wait to dig my toes into the sand, and lie back while the sun warmed me.


	2. Chapter 2

I was practically bursting at the seams to escape from the car. So much so, that I actually considered leaping outside while Phil poked down the sand and rock road at a speed of 5mph.

It took everything I had not to lash out, and scream "HURRY UP!". No need to put Renee in a foul mood though. I wanted every ounce of freedom I could get. I squeezed my eyes shut, and willed myself to be patient until the car would come to a stop.

Just as I thought I was going to lose it, we made an abrupt left turn, and came to a halt.

I exhaled, and slowly opened my eyes. There it was, the beach cottage I had so many good memories of.

It wasn't anything fancy. It was single story, but rested on a pair of stilts to protect it from the churning ocean, in case a hurricane would hit. The siding was a cedar, that had been grayed and weathered by the saltwater and wind. The front of the cottage had steps that led up to a nice sized deck which faced the ocean. Once up on the deck, there were two sets of large glass sliding doors, that let sunlight pour into the kitchen, and living room.

I pulled open the door of the car, and let the smell of the island take me over. It had been so long! The air was humid, and thick. Immediately, I took a deep breath to savor the salt that hung in the air. I heard gulls calling from above. I loved the beach.

Phil's voice snapped me out of my reverie, "Here Bella, go ahead and take your bags to your room, I know you're dying to get down to the water," he winked. Bless you Phil.

I grabbed my luggage, and hurried in to the cottage where Renee was already unpacking. I moved through the kitchen, back the hallway to my room. Though there were four bedrooms to choose from, I kept mine the same each year. The farthest back on the left side. Rosalie and I had made good use of the large central air unit beneath the window last year, when we needed to sneak out.

I threw my bags down on the middle of the bed, ruffling the neatly made bed, and its' floral comforter. I turned, kicked my sandals off, and gave myself a quick check in the vanity, before continuing to my original destination.

I breezed past Renee and Phil without another word, and once outside of the door, broke into a sprint as I made my way to the ocean.

In less than a minute, I was standing in the surf, the water tickling at my toes. Just as I was about to turn, and take a relaxing walk along the tide, a rough voice broke through my ears.

"Looks like someone was anxious to get to the water," he chuckled.

Was he making fun of me?! I had just got here, and some jerk was already trying to ruin my trip.

Without turning around to look at him, I replied,"And it seems someone has nothing better to do than harass people." With that I started walking away from him, insulted.

"Hey, wait!" he called out, "I didn't mean to offend you. Let me apologize?" he squeaked.

I turned to face a lanky looking boy with short, spiky blond hair that had been Sun-Inned one too many times. He had blue eyes, and was just a few inches taller than me, which wasn't saying much since I was only 5'4".

I met his gaze, and he dropped his head down, and started digging nervously in the sand with one of his toes.

"I'm real sorry," he said, "I didn't mean to sound like a jerk, I was just trying to make some conversation with a beautiful girl", as he lifted his eyes to mine, a huge grin on his face, "I'm Mike, by the way", as he held his hand out.

Oh brother. Where was Rose when you needed her? She knew just what to say to prevent these kinds of things. Nip it in the bud, as she would put it. Unfortunately, I wasn't Rose, and didn't quite have it in me to be cruel to this poor boy.

I took his hand, and shook it lightly. "I'm Bella, apology accepted," I hesitantly replied.

Just as he was about to speak again, another boy with dirty blonde hair appeared at his side. He was a few inches taller than Mike, and immediately raked over me with his eyes.

"Hey Mikey, who's your friend?" the boy asked.

Mike's eyes flashed from mine to the boy's, "_This _is Bella, Tyler, and _we _were just speaking."

Is he joking?! He just met me less than five minutes ago, and he's trying to stake some kind of claim on me? Unbelievable!!

"Oh…", Tyler looked mildly insulted, "Sorry, I didn't mean to-"

"Hi Tyler, my name is Bella", I crooned, "It's very nice to meet you."

His dark eyes lit up immediately, and a smile crept over his lips. Hmm, maybe I should have went a little lighter on the sweetness. Too late. He grabbed my hand, and pressed it to his lips, leaving a small circle of slobber.

"Oh, the pleasure is all mine, Bella," he purred. Great. I really know how to attract the good ones.

Feeling left out, Mike reached for my other hand, lucky for him not to kiss it.

"Bella, some guys we met earlier invited us to a bonfire down the beach, would you like to go with _me?_" Mike asked.

Tyler's smile vanished at Mike's invitation. He started to speak, but I cut him off, before anymore words could spill out.

"Well," I answered, alternating my glance between the both of them, not wanting to hurt their feelings, " I would like to go to the bonfire, but just so you both know, I already have a boyfriend back at home." Liar. I held my breath.

Their smiles faltered, but then they both started nodding eagerly, as if it was assumed all along.

"So what time were you guys heading there?" I asked.

Tyler answered, "We're all meeting at the pier first around 9, then we'll walk down the beach a bit, and find a good place."

"Okay, sounds good" I quipped, "See you guys at nine then!" And then I turned and ran just as fast as I had to get to the ocean, not stopping until I was safe behind the sliding glass doors.

------

I had no sooner shut the door, and exhaled, when Renee started with her questions.

"Hey Bella, did enjoy your time with the "ocean"?" she questioned. Crap. She had seen them talking to me. No doubt spying on me from the deck. I decided to play dumb.

"Oh yeah, it was great!" I gushed. "I always forget just how incredible the waves sound until they're crashing at your feet."

She looked at me knowingly, but decided not to push it. If only she knew, I couldn't be anything farther than interested in those two. But, I decided that a bonfire with some people my age had to be better than playing "Win, Lose, Or Draw!" with Phil and Renee all night.

I spent the rest of the day by the pool, though it was pointless, as my pale skin never seemed to tan. Renee insisted that go out to dinner together. We went to my favorite restaurant, called Downunder. I got the Surf n' Turf, which was delicious. It had been a long time since I'd had fresh scallops.

With our bellies full, I decided to breach the topic of the bonfire while Renee was in a food induced haze.

"Mom?" I started off sweetly, "I met some friends today, and they're going to be having a fire on the beach around nine. Do you think it would be okay for me to go?" I held my breath.

She narrowed her eyes, and smiled. "Would these friends be the same ones I saw you chatting with earlier today?"

"Yep, those are the ones," I grimaced.

She seemed to be contemplating it for a minute, when Phil spoke up."Sounds good Bella, just make sure you keep your phone on, in case we need to reach you, and be home by midnight."

I repressed a squeal of joy, "Thank you, not a minute late!" I replied.

My Mother looked at Phil, not sure how to proceed. He must have noticed the looks he was receiving, because he whispered something in her ear, and then she giggled, and blushed. Ew. Do. Not. Want. To. Know.

As soon as we got home from the restaurant, I made a beeline for the shower. It was already 8 o'clock, which meant I had a little less than an hour to make myself presentable.

I stepped into the steaming water, and let the heat work its' magic, relaxing and cleansing me. I reached for my strawberry shampoo, poured some in my palm, and began massaging my scalp with my fingertips. I wondered who these other guys were that had invited Mike & Tyler along. If they were cute?

Well, there was always a possibility that at least one of them might be, I thought. I better pull out all the extra stops, just in case.

I dried my hair, and curled it, so it hung in loose waves. Carefully, I applied mascara, and just a thin line of eyeliner. I topped it off with some vanilla lip gloss that made my mouth even more plump.

But what to wear? I considered a dress, but then decided against it, since we'd be most likely sitting in the sand around a fire, and I had no desire to flash my underwear to Mike or Tyler. I settled on a dark blue cotton halter that hit right at the top of my dark khaki shorts. I considered not wearing shoes, but then remembered I would have to cross the parking lot to get to the pier. I went with a pair of brown leather thong flip flops. I took a step back, and eyed myself in the mirror. Perfect. Well, as perfect as I would get.

I said my goodbyes to Renee and Phil, assured them I had my phone on me, and told them I would be home at the stroke of twelve.

I started off in the direction of the pier, slightly nervous about meeting more strangers. A few minutes later, and I was greeted by the sight of Mike and Tyler, both playing lookout for me. Relief flooded both their faces when they saw me. Did they think I wouldn't come? I didn't think I had been that harsh.

"Hey Bella!" they said in unison. I giggled. They blushed, also in unison.

"So," I said, "Where are the other people we're supposed to be meeting?"

Mike responded. "Oh, they're right up there on the pier waiting, and discussing the place for the fire."

My eyes followed the long walkway of the pier, up to a picnic table where three boys, and an impossibly tiny girl sat.

She had dark short hair, and even though should stood on the bench of the table, she was barely taller than the boys who were sitting. Sitting relaxed next to her, was a boy, who looked a little bit older than me, he had sandy blonde hair, and blue eyes. Across from him sat a large muscled boy with dark curly hair, talking animatedly with his hands, while the rest laughed at whatever he was saying. He reminded me of the guys on the football team back at home.

The muscled one bent down to reach something he had dropped on the ground. And that's when I saw him.

My heart skipped a beat (or two), and I sharply inhaled, and stopped breathing.

I watched him throw his head back in laughter as the big one sat up, bumping his head on the table.

His hair was an incredible bronze color. I had never seen anything like it, and I was sure it would shimmer in the sunlight. I moved my eyes from his hair down the angles of his beautiful cheekbones, and strong jaw. My eyes moved to his mouth, _God help me_, and I noticed he had stopped laughing, and has angled his head in my direction. I brought my gaze upward, and my own eyes locked with his.

I gasped, staring back at me were the greenest eyes I had ever seen. They were like melted emeralds, sparkling even at twilight.

I quickly broke out of my trance, and looked down at my feet, embarrassed for being caught gawking at this magnificent creature. I felt a blush creeping slowly over cheeks, the butterflies in my stomach felt like they had multiplied by ten.


	3. Chapter 3

I was frozen on the spot. Desparately torn between running back to the cottage, and hiding under my covers, or running to the bronze haired Adonis to see how soft his lips would be, the way his hair would feel between my fingers, how hard his, uh muscles would be pressed into my body….

_Come on, snap out of it!_ I pleaded with myself. He's just a guy, no need to freak out.

I slowly lifted my gaze, to find him smirking at me with a crooked smile. Hmph! Clearly he was enjoying the effect he had on me. I gathered my courage, and managed to force out a small smile.

Something was poking me on my shoulder, pulling me out of my moment. Ah yes, Mike.

"Bella…Bella….hello, Earth to Bella" he said mockingly.

"Huh, what?" I replied, still reeling in the beauty that sat in front of me.

"I was just asking if you wanted to go up and meet everyone else?" he said.

Go and meet the most beautiful boy I had ever laid eyes on, who was making me think very naughty thoughts. Gulp. Yes, please!

"Sure Mike, let's go up" I said. I followed him up the walkway of the pier, each step taking me closer, and closer to my undoing. Just when I thought I wouldn't be able to take another steps, my legs turning to jelly, we stopped and faced their group.

Mike took this moment to wrap his arm over my shoulder, once again attempting to claim me.

"Everyone," he said, "This is Bella." "Bella this is Alice, Emmett (ah, muscle boy!), Jasper (right, the surfer dude), and Edward (the greek god, sigh)" he relayed.

"Hi guys, it's nice to meet you all" I greeted, with a small wave.

Jasper nodded in my direction, Emmett, with a bone crushing hug, and Alice, ever chipper, stuck a tiny hand out.

"Hi Bella!" she spoke, her voice sounding like little bells tinkling.

I turned my sight to Edward as he spoke, "Hello Bella, it's very nice to meet you," his voice was like warm honey, gliding over velvet.

And now that I was in such a closer proximity, I could she all the details of his beautiful face. His skin was perfection, not a blemish to be seen, his lips, _oh his lips, _were divine! Masculine, with just a hint of fullness, I longed to take them with my own, gently run my tongue over them, before pulling the bottom one in, and sucking on it. _Ugh, head out of the clouds! _He was seriously out of my league. Better to not even dream of it. I would only be setting myself up for disappointment.

"Hey…" was my clever reply back, ducking my head, as I blushed profusely.

------

"Well," Emmett boomed, "Let's get this party started!"

We walked in a group down to the beach, to search for firewood. After gathering what was needed, we started towards our site to begin building the fire.

Emmett made a great spectacle of lighting the fire, effectively losing some of his eyebrows after leaning too close, while trying to light it.

Jasper and Edward laughed at the sight of him. Emmett retaliated by throwing sand at them. I was caught up in their banter, and I didn't notice someone had moved to the left of me.

"So…" she started, "Is Mike your boyfriend of something?"

"Oh, NO!" I almost shouted, "He is most certainly not, though he keeps trying to touch me."

"Good" she said, relieved. What? Why was it good?

"Why do you say that Alice?" I asked

"Oh, no reason at all, I was just wondering." She replied, innocently.

"So Bella" Alice chirped, "I was thinking of taking a trip up to Nags Head tomorrow to do some shopping, you in?"

"Well, I'll have to check with my Mom first, but I'm pretty sure she'll be okay with it" I said.

"Great!" she squealed, "Here, switch phones with me, and we can put each others numbers in."

I loved going shopping in Nags Head, they had such a larger variety of stores than here on the island. And not to mention, I would be lying if I wasn't hoping a certain brother of hers would accompany us.

Mike's voice pulled me from my thoughts, "Hey Bella, Tyler and I have to head back, we told my Mom we'd be home by eleven." Thank God. They had sat moping most of the night anyways.

"Oh, okay guys, I guess I'll see you around" I offered. Not.

"See ya" they both replied, before trudging off in the sand.

I turned my attention back to the fire, and my eyes met with Edwards, which were narrowed in my direction.

What is that about? Maybe he had some sand in his eye, after the battle with Emmett.

The forty five minutes passed quickly, when an alarm on my cell phone went off, reminding me to start the journey home.

I didn't think we had walked that far in our search to find the perfect place for a fire, but as I squinted to make out the shape of the pier, I realized I was farther away from the cottage than I thought. Crap.

"Hey guys, I have to be home by midnight, and I didn't realize how far we were from the pier, so I better start back." I said.

"Okay Bella, " Alice said, "We're still on for tomorrow thought, right"

"Yep, definitely" I replied.

Emmett, and Jasper gave me friendly waves, and Edward just stared at me like I had three heads. _Okay._

"Alright, well I'll see you guys tomorrow, I guess" and turned to leave. I had only walked about fifty feet, when I heard someone softly padding on the sand behind me.

"Hey Bella, wait up!" the velvet voice said.

What was he doing following me? Did he not get enough dirty looks in at the campfire?? Now he's going to seek me out, and rub it in my face?!

"Yes, Edward" I replied tensely, not turning to face him.

He caught up to me, and took a step in front of me, planting himself in my path.

Not opening my eyes, I huffed. I took a deep breath to calm myself, and was then intoxicated by his smell. Mmmm. I couldn't even place what it was I was smelling. All I knew, was that I wanted to bury my head deep in the crook of his neck, and inhale. Repeatedly.

I opened my eyes, and looked up, to find his mesmerizing green orbs staring into mine. I was slightly taken aback, I knew he was close, but I hadn't expected his face in such tight quarters with mine.

My eyes flitted down his face to his lips, and then to his throat. I resisted the urge to lick him, and taste him. In that moment, I wanted him. Badly. My stomach flipped, and my desire heated my body.

He smiled at me, sending my body into a new frenzy. He spoke.

"I was just wondering if you would like for me to walk you home?" he said. " I don't think Emmett realized how far we walked."

Was I dreaming?! The object of my desire, was offering to walk _me_ home! I snapped out of my girly mind, and remember his prior actions at the fire.

"Why, Edward, how chivalrous of you," I teased. "What, with all your glaring at me, I assumed you hoped I would fall into the ocean on the way home."

His smile broke, and he looked mildly insulted.

"Quite the opposite actually, I just want to make sure that you get back to your house safely" he replied.

"Oh?" I inquired.

"Yes, Bella, I'd be quite upset if anything were to happen to you" he said.

My heart began beating a million miles per minute, and my breath came in short, fast intakes.

"And why is that?" I asked, attempting to play coy.

He smirked back, and leaned in even closer to me. I felt his warm breath on my ear. _Just keep it together, don't faint! _ The butterflies in my stomach were back in full force, and I wanted nothing more than for him to touch me. I gulped loudly, and he let out a low, soft chuckle.

"Well," he whispered, "You see, _Alice _really likes you, and she would be devastated if her shopping partner was swept away by the ocean," smirking as he stood back up.

_Alice? _ Two can play that game, I thought.

"Oh, alright, as long as _Alice_ wants to know I made it home safely, I guess I can deal with _you_ escorting me."

He smiled, amused by my reaction, and offered me his arm. I threaded my arm through his, and placed my hand on him forearm, when I surge of electricity ran through me.

I jumped, squeaking a little.

"You alright?" he asked, "You squeaked a little bit"

"Oh, I'm fine" I replied while blushing a deep shade of crimson, "Must have just been some static or something."

"If you say so," he countered, looking equally perplexed.

Looking to take the focus off of me, I begin questioning him.

"So, Alice and Emmett are your sister and brother, and Jasper….." I trailed off.

"Is my best friend." He finished for you.

"Your last name?"

"Cullen"

"Where are you from?"

"Well, orginially..Chicago.." he began. But I cut him off.

"Wow, that's quite a drive, Chicago to the barrier islands of North Carolina!"

"We flew into Elizabeth City, and then drove the rest of the way down."

"Oh. So do you guys come here every year?"

"Actually, no, this is my first time." He responded earnestly, "And I must say, I'm quite enjoying myself."

"So what made your family decide to vacation here?"

"Actually, Emmett is spending the whole summer here. My Uncle Peter and Aunt Charlotte run the Rodanthe Surf shop, and Emmett is here to help out. I believe last week they were teaching him how to shape the surfboards."

"No way!" I exclaimed, " I love that place. So are you here for the whole summer too?"

"Nope, just Emmett," he answered. "He just graduated high school, and my parents told me I would have to wait until I graduated, to stay the entire time."

"So, your parents aren't here with you?" I questioned.

"No, my father, Carlisle is a surgeon back home, and he was on call this week. And my mother, Esme, has a charity gala this Friday, that she's been planning for the past six months."

"Anyways, enough about me Bella, tell me about you" he said as he smiled.

"Well, there's not much to tell really. I'm from Maryland. I'm an only child, and my parents divorced when I was six months old." I shrugged.

He smiled sweetly. "I'm sure there's much more than you let on, " he encouraged.

I looked up and saw the outline of my cottage coming into view.

"Well maybe there is," I quipped, "But this is my stop."

"Oh," he said, looking rather disappointed. "Well thank you for allowing me to see you home safely Bella."

"No, thank you Edward, I felt much safer with you by my side."

He smiled warmly at me, neither one of us wanting to break the others' gaze.

And then I did something that I cannot explain. My brain was unable to function, so I let my body take the lead. I know I did it, because I felt my body moving, I felt my feet closing the distance between our bodies. I felt the warmth radiate from his body, as I drew nearer.

The only thing my clouded vision could see was his soft, magnificent lips.

I stopped, short of running into him, and brought my own mouth up to his. I kissed him chastely on the lips, and pulled back, to gauge his reaction. He stood there stunned, his eyes glazed over.

This was good, he hadn't pushed me away, and I seemed to have a good effect on him.

I brought my lips to his again, and sighed a little, before taking his top lips in my mouth. I was in heaven. He tasted so amazing!

Like warm vanilla, with just a hint of peppermint, I couldn't get enough of him.

He groaned as I ran my tongue along his lip, tracing the shape of him.

He placed one hand on the small of my back, and the other went to the back of my head, as he wound his fingers in my hair, pulling me closer to him.

He returned my kiss by swooping his tongue along my lower lip, begging for entrance into my mouth.

I eagerly granted him entrance, and our tongues met in soft, graceful caresses.

I closed my eyes and saw fireworks, exploding under my closed lids. He was like nothing I had ever felt before. Sure, I had kissed other boys before, even made out, but none of them had elicited this response.

I was hyper aware of every touch, pull, and stroke. He ran his hand up my back, making me shiver. He brought his perfect mouth down to my neck, and begin peppering it with light kisses, before closing in on the hollow of throat, and sucking.

I moaned, and involuntarily rocked my hips into his own.

He let out a small hiss, before returning my motion, so I could feel his excitement from our kiss.

I broke our embrace, and gasped. He was extremely aroused, from what I could feel.

I looked into his eyes, and they mirrored my own. Burning with desire, lust, and…love? No, silly me. Just my imagination, after all, it's not every day the reincarnate of Adonis rubs against you.

"Bella…" he groaned. His voice thick with longing, and want.

"Edward, I have to go, my parents will flip if I'm late," I said sadly.

"I know," he said, looking broken, and tortured.

And I couldn't stand it. To see this beautiful man looking so hurt, all because he wanted to be with me!

So in a very un-Bella moment, I said to him….

"Well, I can't stay _out_, but maybe you could come _in _after my parents have went to bed…..?"


	4. Chapter 4

**EPOV**

I finished stuffing the last of my clothing into my suitcase. This afternoon, my sister, Alice, and my best friend, Jasper and I would be boarding a flight that would take us to the East Coast.

My brother, Emmett, was already in North Carolina, working in my Aunt and Uncle's surf shop for the summer.

To say I was excited, was an understatement. I had never been to the East Coast before, and from what Emmett had relayed in his phone calls, it was amazing.

Nothing like the beaches in Washington, or California for that matter, he had said.

I made my way down the stairs to find Jasper loading all eight, yes eight, of Alice's suitcases. Not counting her carry-on bag. My sister was a bit of a fashion extremist, to say the least.

"Alice, do you really think all of these are necessary? We're only going to be there for a week?"

"Of course Edward!" she chirped, as if it were the most ridiculous thing I'd ever asked her, "I like to be prepared, and look good while doing it" she winked.

"Ahh, and are you sure this has nothing to do with the fact that Jasper will be accompanying us?" I teased.

Her eyes bugged out of her head, and her face stained red. She liked to think that I didn't notice her feelings for Jasper, that she thought of him as a brother, but I knew better than that. Anyone would be able to tell from all goo goo eyes she made at him.

Not that I wanted to believe that she had those types of feelings for anyone. If I had it my way, she would be frozen at five years old, her interests limited to tea parties, dolls, and playing jump rope.

But if it had to be anyone, I'm glad it was Jasper. I can't say that I wasn't a little envious of the bond they shared. I'd had my fair share of lackluster relationships, but no girl I'd met had any draw for me.

Jasper finished packing the car, and announced it was time for our departure.

------

We had a smooth flight, and arrived at the airport in Elizabeth City, NC where Emmett would be waiting.

I had no sooner stepped foot into the airport, when I was trapped in a bone crushing hug.

"Eddie! Ali! Jasper! How was your flight?" Emmett boomed.

"It was just fine Emmett, and please do not call me THAT, you know I hate that nickname" I scowled.

"Aw, come on little brother, you're no fun" he teased, "You know what you need…..to get laid, then maybe you wouldn't be so uptight."

"I am perfectly fine with my sexual status, Emmett, thank you very much. Not all of us feel the need to prove our happiness by the notches on our bed post!" I retorted.

"Edward..I'm hurt" he said playfully, "Are you calling me a manwhore??"

"If the shoe fits….." I replied.

"Hey, I can't help it if the ladies find me irresistible!"

"Alright you two, that enough!" Alice piped in, "If I have to spend this whole trip listening to you two bicker, I'll just take the car now, and leave you at the airport" she said viciously, while pointing her tiny fingers in our faces.

For someone so tiny, she exuded a rather large, terrifying presence.

I had learned from my childhood, the hard way I might add, not to tick Alice off. And if you did, to sleep with one eye open.

"Okay Ali, we promise to behave, now let's go claim your millions of suitcases so we can get going" Emmett said.

After waiting for what seemed like forever, we finally managed to get all of our luggage, and get packed into the car, a red Jeep of Peter's that had the top off.

We arrived to Peter and Charlotte's cottage with wild, wind blown hair. Except for Alice, who had tied a silk scarf around her head.

It truly was beautiful here. It had an amazing quaint charm, that you just can't find in the heavily populated beaches I had been to previously. I could see what Emmett had been so enthralled about.

The dunes formed as a protective barrier past the houses, to guard against the turmoil of the sea. Whispy strands of sea oats grew out of the dunes in all directions, and swayed in the breeze.

The ocean was a deep azure blue, and crashed roughly against the sand.

And the sand, the sand was…hot. ..HOT..ouch..FUCK! My feet were burning.

Emmett laughed as I did a little dance, before running back to the safety of the deck where I could find a small patch of shade.

"Alright kiddies, get unpacked. I met some guys earlier, and we're going to meet them later tonight for a bonfire on the beach" Emmett boomed.

"Some…guys?" Jasper questioned, clearly not wanting to draw any attention to Alice.

"Yeah," Emmett said, "They came into the shop earlier, we ended up surfing, and I told them my family was coming in to visit, and asked if they wanted to hang."

"Oh, okay" Japser said, disgruntled, his eyes flitting to Alice.

------

I spent the remainder of my evening unpacking, before enjoying some hamburgers, lovingly charred on the grill by Emmett.

After dinner was finished, we hopped in the jeep, Alice calling shotgun, and drove to the pier to meet Emmett's newfound friends.

We arrived a little early, and decided to make our way over to a picnic table outside of the little shop on the pier.

After a few minutes, two boys came walking in our direction and introduced themselves as Mike, and Tyler.

Apparently Jasper decided he had nothing to worry about, greeting them with a smile, rather than a growl.

And he didn't. They definitely weren't Alice's type.

The one, Mike, a round baby face, with soft features, severely over processed blonde hair, and blue eyes. And Tyler, who features were a little more defined with dark eyes, and dirty blone hair.

After we were through with introductions, Mike informed us that he was waiting on a girl named Bella to arrive. He looked at me sharply after relaying this information, as if implying some type of unspoken claim on her. Pfft.

If he only knew. I had yet to meet a girl, other than my Mother, and my Sister, who had any substance. He had nothing to worry about.

Or did he.

I saw him turn around, searching for this Bella, locking in on a spot beyond us. I followed his line of sight, and took in a quick breath of air, ceasing to breathe.

There not twenty feet from us, was an astoundingly beautiful girl, who looked up and smiled at Mike when she met his leer.

Her shiny brown hair cascaded over her shoulder, bouncing lightly with each step she took. Her body was perfectly curved, with voluptuous breasts that were demanding to be freed from the confines of her shirt. And her lips, oh dear God, her sweet pink glossy lips. I needed them on me, kissing, licking, sucking…God! I have to stop, the mere sight of her made painfully aroused.

I quickly looked down, trying to calm myself, and spare myself embarrassment if I would need to stand up any time soon.

I forced myself to be enthralled in whatever Emmett was telling a story about, gesturing with his hands wildly, knocking the lighter off of the table.

He reached down to get it, and swiftly sat back up, knocking his head on the table.

Ha! Count on Emmett to provide a distraction.

When I had I sufficiently calmed down, I looked back down in her, Bella's, direction, to find the most intriguing pair of rich, cocoa brown eyes staring back at me.

Our gaze was locked for a moment, until she quickly darted her eyes down. Her face flushing as she did so.

_I_ made _her_ blush. Wow. No wait, I was probably just creeping her out from my unwelcome stare.

And then Mike poked her luscious skin with his unworthy finger. I narrowed my eyes at him, wanting to snap off said finger, and feed it to him.

_Easy Edward, she's not yours, not need to get worked up over it._ I said to myself.

I watched her as she walked up towards us. Mike took the liberty of introducing her, while draping his filthy arm over her. What was he a caveman?! But then I guess I was no better, seeing as how I wanted to rip his arm out of its' socket.

And then I looked into her dark chocolately pools, and any anger I had, instantly vanished. I took a deep breath before introducing myself.

"Hello Bella, it's very nice to meet you," I said.

She stared back at me, her eyes glazing over, becoming heavy. Too soon, she snapped out of her _lustful, could it be, please say yes, _daze, and responded with a "Hey.." before blushing like she was on fire.

I inwardly groaned, suppressing the urge to pull her body to mine. Did she have any idea how sexy it was to see her blush like that?? I wondered if her cheeks would flush the same beautiful tint, as she would ride out waves of pleasure caused by me.

I immediately regretted that thought as I felt my pants tighten, praying to God that she, or no one else for that matter, would notice.

Thankfully, Emmett chose that moment to announce it was time to go, and I took the liberty of following behind the rest of the group, until I could relax.

Not to mention, I got a lovely view of Bella's, er, assets on the way there.

------

After a lengthy walk, Emmett finally decided on the perfect spot to set up.

We went to work digging out a hole in the sand, to provide the fire a little barrier from the gusts of wind that rolled off of the ocean.

Emmett insisted upon lighting the fire all by himself, stating he had done it plenty of times before, and needed no assistance.

Apparently he did it a little too well, using too much accelerant, and causing the fire to spring up, and singe his eyebrows before dying back down.

Jasper and I immediately started laughing hysterically, and Emmett being the mature individual, sought revenge in the form of tossing sand mercilessly at our heads.

I had been so caught up in protecting my eyes from the wrath of Emmett that I hadn't noticed Alice slyly make her way over to sit beside of Bella.

I regained my composure to see them whispering back and forth, before finally exchanging cell phones. Well, this was nice, now I had her number!

I was pulled from my reverie by the sound of Mike's voice, signaling that he and Tyler were leaving. _About time, _I thought. I was glad to have him gone, until I heard Bella say that she would "see them around".

What was with that? She didn't even seem to like him, noticeably cringing when he would sit beside her, or try to touch her. So why would she tell him that she would see him around? Did she like him, or was she just pacifying him? I narrowed my eyes in concentration, and unfortunately Bella chose that moment to look at me.

I tried to pop my eyes open, and attempt to look nonchalant, but she had already looked away, and was now staring down at her feet. Shit.

I spent the next forty five minutes trying to get her to look at me, and she spent it avoiding me.

I was still desparately willing her to look in my direction, when her cell phone beeped, and she announced that she had a curfew, and would need to leave.

What?! No! I hadn't even had a chance to explain my actions to her. I was frantic, and confused.

And of course, she chose that moment to look at me, when my face was wild, and bewildered. She was going to think I was nuts!

I watched her as she stood, and turned, swaying her hips seductively as she walked away. Away. From me. No.

I mumbled something to my family about forgetting something on the pier, and that I would catch up with them later, and took off, jogging after her.

------

Not wanting to scare her, I called after her, "Hey Bella, wait up…."

She stopped talking, but did not turn to face me. "Yes, Edward," she said icily.

Mmm, I wanted her to say my name again, it sounded so wonderful rolling off her tongue, even if she was mad.

I took a step in front of her, and stood facing her, taking in her full beauty, uninterrupted for the first time. I couldn't help myself, and moved closer to her, wanting, no needing, to feel her. I stopped just short of colliding with her, as she took in a deep breath, I did the same, relishing in her sweet strawberry and freesia scent. She was mouth watering.

She opened her eyes, slightly startled to be so close to me, and her gaze drifted down, where my lips were, and over to my neck. _Really? Maybe I could kiss her now…no, focus Edward._

"I was just wondering if you would like for me to walk you home?" I said. " I don't think Emmett realized how far we walked." Please say yes, please, please say yes.

"Why, Edward, how chivalrous of you," she teased. "What, with all your glaring at me, I assumed you hoped I would fall into the ocean on the way home."

Shit, she had noticed. But still, how could she be so ridiculous? I can't believe she thought that of me.

"Quite the opposite actually, I just want to make sure that you get back to your house safely" I replied honestly.

"Oh?" she inquired.

"Yes, Bella, I'd be quite upset if anything were to happen to you" I said.

I hoped that she would see that I wasn't angry, or crazy, and I meant her no harm.

"And why is that?" she asked, rather coyly.

I smirked, and leaned in closely to her warm skin. I breathed in and out slowly, purposefully. She gulped, nervously. Amused, a let out a soft chuckle, clearly I had some kind of effect on her. Not anywhere near the utterly debilitating effect she had over me, but at least it was something.

"Well," I whispered into her ear, "You see, _Alice _really likes you, and she would be devastated if her shopping partner was swept away by the ocean," smirking as I stood back up.

I didn't want to put myself too far out there, I didn't need the sting of rejection if she didn't return my feelings.

"Oh, alright, as long as _Alice_ wants to know I made it home safely, I guess I can deal with _you_ escorting me."

Ha! She was able to dish it back out as well. I knew then, that even if she didn't return my feelings, I would never be able to just let her walk away. She intrigued me like no one else. I wanted to know her secrets, her hopes, her desires, and her fears. I may have been losing it. Actually, scratch that, I officially lost it the first second my vision was filled with her beauty.

I had to touch her. I need to know how soft her skin was, and the way it would feel against my own.

I offered her my arm, and to my delight, she smiled before threading her own with mine, and resting her palm lightly on my forearm, when I felt a jolt surge through me. _All just from her touch, nah, no way._

She jumped, squeaking a little. She was adorable.

"You alright?" I asked, "You squeaked a little bit"

"Oh, I'm fine" she replied while blushing a deep shade of crimson, "Must have just been some static or something."

"If you say so," I countered, feeling perplexed. Static, yep, that's what it was. Just static electricity.

------

The rest of the walk to her home, we chatted back and forth, and I found myself falling for her more.

I had only barely begun to scratch at her surface, and was extremely disappointed when she told me that we were at her house.

I thanked her for allowing me to escort her, and she thanked me back, telling me she felt safer with _me _by her side.

I smiled back at her, and found myself lost in her eyes. If only I could read her mind to know what she was thinking, then I could know what was going on behind that beautiful face.

I watched as her face seemed to register the different emotions she was feeling….first

Happiness. Warmth. Shy. Doubtful. Elated. Then finally, determined.

And then, she unexpectedly kissed me, very softly, directly on my lips.

My emotions were waging a war against each other. _Take her, right here, right now! _My lower half screamed. _Be gentle with her, let her lead, you don't want to scare her. _My upper half argued.

In the end, the upper half of my body won the fight, staying frozen on the spot, too stunned to move anyways at what had just happened.

Before I had a chance to react, her lips were on mine again, as she gently sucked on my upper lip. I shuddered, still too enamored to return her actions.

Until she took her soft, pink tongue, _the very tongue I had been fantasizing about her using on me earlier_, and traced the outline of my lips with it. And then I was a goner. I couldn't have stopped myself if I had wanted to. She had released my inner animal.

I groaned, and weaved my fingers in long, soft hair, placing the other hand on the small of her back, and pulling her as close to me as I possibly could.

I used my tongue to trace her own lip, pushing softly, begging to be let in.

She parted her lips, and I felt the inside of her warm, sweet mouth. Her breath, hot and short, mirrored my own.

There's really no way to describe what happened as my tongue met her own. Tiny bombs were bursting and erupting beautifully around me.

I needed to feel more of her silky skin, and slipped my hand under her shirt, and up her back.

Dear God, she wasn't wearing a bra! My arousal twitched in excitement.

I pulled my mouth from hers, and directed my attention to her neck, tenderly kissing, before stopping at the hollow of her neck, and sucking on her delicious skin.

She moaned, and pushed her hips into me, rubbing right against my hardened dick. I let a small hiss escape.

She was going to kill me!

She pulled away from me, and gasped, looking down in the direction of my now painfully tight shorts.

I needed her. More than I've ever need anything before.

She looked back into my eyes, and her already dark eyes were now nearly black, burning with desire…and something else, that I wasn't quite sure of.

The lack of contact had me longing for her.

"Bella…" I groaned. My voice thick with desire

"Edward, I have to go, my parents will flip if I'm late," she said sadly.

Damn her curfew! I couldn't let her go! But I knew I would only make it harder for her if I didn't.

"I know," I said, glumly.

She bit down on her bottom lip, deep in thought. God she was tempting.

And once again, she took me completely by surprise with the next words that left her mouth.

"Well, I can't stay _out_, but maybe you could come _in _after my parents have went to bed…..?"


	5. Chapter 5

_**A/N**_**: This scene does have a lemon in it, so if you're not a fan, skip it! Thank you to those that have left reviews so far. I appreciate them. Everyone else…please review ;)!**

**And check out my profile for pictures of the characters, and the surf shop.**

**Thanks!**

"_Well, I can't stay out, but maybe you could come in after my parents have went to bed…..?"_

Omigosh, I CANNOT believe I just said that to him. He's going to think I'm easy, or a nymphomaniac. Okay, think of something quick, something non sexual that could occur in your bedroom after your parents have went to sleep……

"Y-yeah, you know" I stammered, "I figured we could play some cards, or something?"

I internally groaned. Like that was any better, now he was just going to think I was a deranged loser. Cards!

I held my breath waiting for his response. He stood there looking slightly amused, I waited for him to laugh in my face, reject me, and tell me had better things to do than "play cards" with me.

"I'd like that"

"It's okay if you don't want to" I rushed out, "I know you probably have-"

"Bella" he interrupted my rambling, "I said that I would like that, very much so."

"Oh!" I snapped out of my haze, "You would?"

"Yes, but I must warn you, I am quite the card shark" he winked at me.

I giggled, and pulled him to me, wrapping my arms around his neck.

"Well, we'll just see about that, won't we?" I said seductively, fanning my breath against his neck.

He shivered, and let out a small chuckle.

"I suppose we will. So what time should I come to your window, Rapunzel?" he teased.

"I think we should be safe by around 1 AM, if they're not already passed out. And don't expect me to lower my hair down either. You're going to have to find your own way up, Prince Charming."

"I can do that" he replied confidently.

He took my hand in his own, and raised it to his lips, placing a soft kiss on my knuckles.

"Until then, my lady" he cooed.

I was grinning from ear to ear. I touched my fingers to my lips, and blew a kiss towards him.

------

I practically floated up the stairs to the cottage. Thoughts of Edward, dancing in my head. I pulled the glass door open, and skipped across the entry way. Looking at the clock on the microwave to check my time. 11:59, perfect.

I heard my Mother shuffling around in the bathroom.

"Bella, is that you?" she called out. No mom, it's the boogeyman. Who did she think it was?

"Yeah, it's me. With a minute to spare" I grinned.

"Okay, well lock that door behind you, please. I'm heading to bed since you're in now. I'm exhausted."

"Yeah me too," I said exaggerating a yawn and stretching my arms above my head. "Night Mom"

"Night Sweetie"

------

I know I probably should have felt guilty, seeing as how I had invited a boy, a very handsome one at that, to climb through my bedroom window, and stay the night with me, but the only feelings I could register were those of giddiness, and general euphoria.

I made my way back to my room, and quickly surveyed the area, making sure I didn't have anything embarrassing lying around.

I scooped up my dirty laundry from earlier, tossing it in the hamper beside the closet. I shoved my suitcase under the bed, and fluffed the comforter, then pulled out the small bag I kept on me in the car to search for my deck of cards.

I cursed myself once I had found them. I'd forgotten that they were the ones with Hershey Kisses on the backs, a souvenir from Hershey Park last summer. Hopefully he wouldn't make fun of me.

I check my cell phone. 12:18 AM. Ugh, I was going to die waiting. Patience had never been a strong point.

I sighed deeply, and lay back on my bed, staring at the ceiling, remember our kiss. I had never been kissed like that before. There was so much passion, and emotion behind him. It took my breath away just thinking about it.

I put a towel along the door, in an attempt to muffle any sound, and opened the window to wait for him.

------

Not too long after I had lain down on my bed to read a new book, I heard rustling beneath my window. I jumped out of bed excitedly and rushed over to peer over the sill. He was early!

My heart skipped a beat. There he stood, my modern day Romeo, looking even more handsome than before, grinning up at me.

"I'm not sure if I should quote something from Rapunzel, or Romeo and Juliet" he said, his face bright with excitement. "This seems kind of surreal, huh?"

"It does" I agreed, "And I vote for Shakespeare" I said, teasing him.

"She speaks: O, speak again, bright angel! For thou art as glorious to this night, being o'er my head  
as is a winged messenger of heaven unto the white-upturned wondering eyes of mortals that fall back to gaze on him, when he bestrides the lazy-pacing clouds and sails upon the bosom of the air." He recited to me.

At first I was speechless. I mean really, what sixteen year old boy can actually quote Shakespeare word for word. Sure, they've all heard of it, some have read it because of school, but he was the first I had met to _know_ it.

I grinned back at him in response, and said "O Romeo, Romeo! Wherefore art thou Romeo? Deny thy father and refuse thy name or, if thou wilt not, be but sworn my love."

After having made his declaration, he climbed up the central air unit, pushing off of it, and shimmied in through my window. He stood up, brushing himself off, and then walked over to me, enveloping me in his arms.

"You're early" I said, looking up at him.

"I know, I missed you" he said smiling back.

"You're silly!" I giggled, "It's only been twenty five minutes since I've last seen you."

"A lifetime" he whispered huskily.

I shivered at his seductive voice, and led him over to the bed.

"Wow, you move quick!" he remarked.

"Not quick enough though, I can't wait to see you action" I said.

"R-r-really?" he stammered out.

"Yes.." I said, whipping out the deck of cards, and waving them in his face, "You did hint that you had some moves."

"Oh…Oh! The cards, right!" he replied, clearly a bit flustered.

"Of course the cards, Edward. Silly boy! What did you think I was talking about?"

He cleared his throat quietly. "I knew it was the cards" he mumbled out.

"Well, let's get to it, show me what you've got" I said, while backing myself up on the bed, until my head leaned against the pillows that were propped up. I spread my legs open and began dealing the cards in the small space in between us.

He lay across the bed sideways, propping his head up on his hand.

"So, what would you like to play…Gin, Rummy, Spoons…?" I asked.

"Poker." He said, without cracking a smile, "Strip Poker."

I blushed, happy to know I held more interest than our card game.

"Alright," I crooned, "Hope you ready to get naked, because I've got a few tricks up my sleeves as well."

He smirked his beautiful crooked smile at me, while I began to deal.

------

Let's just say I hadn't anticipated him being quite so good at poker. Not to mention, I didn't have much clothing to work with. I had already taken my necklace off first, then my earrings, then my hair band. I finally won a round, causing him to lose his shirt, and expose his beautifully sculpted chest to me. Then he won the next, and I had to choose between taking off my top, or my shorts.

"Well, which will it be?" he said smugly, "The tank, or the shorts?"

I bit down on my bottom lip, deep in thought, deciding if I would rather expose my bottom, or top to him. And then an idea popped into my head.

"Neither!" I said confidently.

"What do you mean neither, I won!" he said.

"I know. I just said I wouldn't be taking off either one of those things, not that I wouldn't be taking off anything at all." I said, as I reached behind my back, unclasping my bra, and slipping the straps over my arms. Everyone should master the art of removing a bra with a shirt on; you never know when it may come in handy.

I pulled my dark blue satin and lace bra out from under my shirt, and tossed it in his direction, where it landed in his lap.

His eyes were as wide as saucers, and his mouth hung open in disbelief at what I had done. _Good_, I thought.

I unfortunately lost the next round as well, losing my shorts, leaving me clad in only my tank top, and dark blue silk underwear.

As he dealt out the cards, I became increasingly nervous. This would be a do or die round for me. He seemed to know as well, a little too eager to get on with the game.

I had a pair of queens, a jack, a three of hearts, and a nine of spades. Not too bad. The queens might win it for me here.

"So, what's your ante?" he said as he licked his lips, "Shirt…or underwear?"

I peeked back at him.

"Shirt." I said carelessly.

"Well, what do you have?" he asked excitedly.

Uh oh. He must have a pretty good hand to be bouncing like that.

"Pair of queens"

"Aw, shoot" his head falling down as he spoke. Yes!!! Victory would be mine, his shorts would come off, I would see him boxers….mmm. His voice interrupted my fantasy.

"All I've got are these three fives, and pair of eights…" he said mischievously.

Wait a minute, three fives, two eights…three of a kind, two of a kind, isn't that a….

"Full House baby!!" he all but screamed, jumping up on the bed.

"Oh you are unbelievable" I huffed.

He dropped himself back to the bed, and grinned. "Pay up" he said.

I hesitated, biting my lip again. I had no other ways out, no more tricks up my sleeves. All that I had left was a flimsy little tank and my panties. I took a deep breath.

He was suddenly right next to me, rubbing my back.

"It's okay Bella, you don't have to take your shirt off," he said apologetically, "I'm sorry, I was being rude."

I into his deep green eyes, and knew then I could deny him nothing. Not because he won, or I thought I owed it to him. But because I wanted to give myself to him, I wanted him to be the one. My first, my last, my everything.

"It's alright" I whispered, kissing him on his forehead.

I rose to my knees, and grabbed the hem of my tank top, slowly raking it over my stomach, until it reached the bottoms of my breasts. I smiled at him lovingly before I continued, and raised my arms over my head, taking my shirt with them.

I felt the warmth spreading across my cheeks, and ducked my chin down until it touched my shoulder. A pair of strong hands placed themselves on either side of my face, pulling it up, until I was looking back at him.

"Bella," he started, "Please don't be embarrassed. You are _the_ most beautiful thing I have ever laid eyes on."

He made me feel at such ease. Like I had known him all my life, and that meeting him earlier this evening was just a reunion of sorts. In his arms, I was home.

"Edward.." I whispered, "Kiss me, please.."

He brought his face to mine, and begin caressing my lips with soft, delicate movements, his hands situated firmly on my waist.

I dropped one of my hands from his hair, and used it to guide his hand up to my breast.

He cupped my breast gently, and moaned as he felt the sensitive skin of my nipple harden under his touch.

He placed kisses along my neck, stopping to suck at my collarbone, before taking both breasts in his hand, then moving his tongue to my erect nipple.

I whimpered in pleasure as his tongue made soft circles around me, before nibbling lightly.

I pushed him away, and then down, so he was lying at the head of my bed. I straddled myself over top of his knees, and began unbuttoning his shorts, while he watched with lidded eyes.

I pulled his boxers off along with his shorts, and gasped quietly at how large he was. I felt a little nervous, knowing where I wanted him to put that, and if it would even fit! I didn't get to ponder on it for too long, as he was pulling me back down towards him.

I kneeled in between his knees, and brought my mouth down to his hardened member, licking it from base to tip, before taking him in my mouth.

"Oh God! Bella…shit….so..uhh…good" he moaned out in a whisper. I continued for a few more minutes, until he was tugging at my hair, trying to pull me up. I looked up at him with swollen, bright pink lips. I was confused, why would he want me stop?

"You..are amazing" he choked out, "But if you keep doing that, I won't be able to hold out any longer."

He pulled me up to his mouth, and begin kissing me ravenously. He hooked his thumbs around my panties and pulled them down to my knees, where I kicked them off the rest of the way.

I moved up his body, placing a knee on each side of his hip, before beginning to lower myself down.

I stopped hesitantly. Maybe I should tell him? He probably should know, just in case.

"I'm a virgin," I whispered.

He looked up at me in adoration, a big grin on his face. "So am I."

"Really?!" I said.

" I swear. And I must tell you, that I'm so happy I waited…for you" he said back, barely whispering the last part.

His strong hands rubbed my outer thighs, making me feel weak. He moved his hand to my center, and brought one finger out, stroking me.

"God, you're so wet," he groaned.

"Only for you" I replied huskily.

I kissed him one last time, before positioning his tip at my entrance, pushing against him ever so slightly.

The warmth and pressure from him was incredible. I wanted to take all of him in at once, but I knew I would need to go slow and adjust to his size. Plus, I didn't want it to hurt; I've heard the horror stories of the first time.

His breathing was labored and heavy, as he gripped tightly around my hips.

I wiggled my hips, trying to work more of him inside of me. At one point, it became uncomfortably tight, but then all the tension seemed to vanish as he slipped deeper inside of me.

Once I had fully taken him in, I sighed contentedly. The feeling was so amazing. There was so much of him, filling my entire being, making me whole. From my friend's ramblings, I had only known of the glory of sex on a physical level. I had no idea that it would take me for such a spiritual ride.

His hips bucked underneath of me, bringing me out of my reverie, and back into a world of pleasure.

"You feel so…incredible Bella" he breathed out. "This is so much more than I ever could have anticipated."

"So do you Edward, every part of you, you're….you….you make me feel…." I was at a loss for words.

"I know" he said, "You too" and he kissed me passionately, stroking my tongue with his own.

I moved my hips to meet his thrusts, pushing towards him with every ounce of my being. The tingle that started out in my stomach had begun to spread down my legs, growing in intensity.

He sat up, his back against the headboard, and leaned his head into the crook of my neck.

We held each other in a tight embrace, as his movements became more frantic. I felt the pressure building, and thought that I might scream if it wasn't released soon.

"Oh God..Bella…I can't….hold….come with me" he sputtered out.

I held onto him tight as he drove himself into me, pushing my pleasure over, I felt myself tighten around him, and my entire body contracted as he took me over the edge.

He covered my mouth with his own, and we moaned into each other's to muffle our screaming.

He gave one final thrust, and I felt him twitch repeatedly inside of me, filling me warmth.

We collapsed together, rolling over on our sides to rest on the bed. He pulled the sheet over top of us. I could have sworn I heard him whisper "I love you" as I drifted off to sleep.


End file.
